Wednesday, August 31, 2011

(Hollywood Reporter)- Star of films, TV shows in the 1950s was married to veteran actor Richard Egan.

Patricia Hardy, a film and television actress in the 1950s who was married to actor Richard Egan for 30 years, died Aug. 20 in her Brentwood home in Los Angeles of colon cancer. She was 80.

Hardy, an Irish-American beauty who was crowned Miss Brooklyn, Miss Coney Island and Miss New York Press Photographer, performed with comedians Jimmy Durante and Danny Thomas at the famed Copacabana nightclub in New York City and once graced the cover of Look magazine.

After arriving in Los Angeles, she starred in such films as Girls in the Night (1953) and Don’t Knock the Rock (1956) and in such TV series as Schlitz Playhouse (in an installment opposite James Dean), The Loretta Young Show, Lassie, Mike Hammer, State Trooper and Perry Mason.

In 1956, Hardy met Egan (A Summer Place, The 300 Spartans), and they married in June 1958. Egan died in 1987.

Survivors include their children Patricia, Kathleen, Colleen, Richard Jr. (founder of independent record label Vagrant Records) and Maureen, a writer and director.

The family asks that donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Composer, owner of local supper club dies. Phil Moody, who was a symbol of sophisticated nightclub music in Palm Springs, died at a local hospice Monday. He was 89.

By Bruce Fessier

Moody, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in his native Great Britain, had a long career as a Hollywood composer and arranger and as a music director in Las Vegas and the MGM Grand in Reno.

His daughter, Mary Moody Lewis, said his most lasting work was "The Laguna Concerto," which he performed with symphonies across the country, and in concert at the Palm Springs Desert Museum. It was re-titled "The Lunar Concerto" for a documentary of the first lunar landing, "Footprints on the Moon."

He was best known in the Coachella Valley as co-owner and music director of Moody's Supper Club in Palm Springs. He produced original musical revues at the intimate club on South Palm Canyon Drive from 1980 to 1990.

He and Grace Moody also had their own rooms at Marie Callender's, Las Brisas and Livreri's Italian Restaurant until 2004.

They and their Moody Singers performed tributes to songwriters such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Fats Waller, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, and Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. They also saluted Frank Sinatra and Broadway musicals. It was Moody's original concerti for each production and his original arrangements that distinguished the shows from similar nightclub tributes.

"There wasn't just one outstanding arrangement," said David Christopher, who joined the Moody Singers in 1980. "They were all outstanding arrangements. Each time I look at them now, I say, ‘How did we do that?' He was brilliant."

"He was without a doubt one of the finest pianists I've ever played with," said Larry New, a former A&M recording artist who went from the Moodys to The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.

"He had the ability to do more with less than anyone I've ever known.

Moody moved to Los Angeles from the United Kingdom after World War II and found film and recording work after impressing industry titans such as Irving Mills and Stan Kenton.

He recorded Fats Waller-styled jazz albums and wrote scores for the films "So This Is Paris," "Love Me Deadly" and "Paris Follies."

He first visited Palm Springs in 1950 with the singing duo Grace and Pony Sherrell. He married Grace and formed a writing partnership with Pony.

In the 1960s and '70s, he directed and co-wrote material for artists as diverse as Jimmy Durante, Betty Grable, opera diva Helen Traubel and film legend Mae West, who performed a "muscle man" act with special material co-written by Moody.

Phil and Grace Moody also performed in local nightclubs such as the Doll House and the Ranch House before starting their supper club with their daughter, Mary.

They were given a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on Palm Canyon Drive between Amado Road and Tahquitz Canyon Drive.

Greg Purdy, a member of the Moody Singers for more than 20 years, said the singers considered themselves part of the Moody family.

"I know it sounds cliché, but Phil was like a father," he said. "The music world lost a great talent and we lost our beloved maestro."

Besides his daughter, Moody is survived by his brother, Bosh Moody in England.

A graveside service is tentatively scheduled for Friday at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City. Mary Lewis said a private celebration of life will be held later in the season.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Jack J. Hayes, an Oscar-nominated composer and orchestrator who worked on more than 200 films during a Hollywood career that spanned 60 years, died of natural causes Wednesday in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He was 92.

Hayes' behind-the-scenes skills as a fast, meticulous and highly skilled orchestrator for such top composers as Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones, Marvin Hamlisch and Burt Bacharach kept him in demand for decades. His last credits were on Michael Giacchino's "Star Trek" and "Up."

Hayes was Oscar-nominated twice, for adapting the musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" in 1964 and for contributing to Jones' score for "The Color Purple" in 1985.

Hayes enjoyed a long partnership with fellow orchestrator Leo Shuken beginning in the 1950s. Together they orchestrated numerous landmark films including "The Magnificent Seven" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" for Bernstein, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "Days of Wine and Roses" for Mancini, "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and "Airport" for Alfred Newman, "In Cold Blood" for Jones, and "Casino Royale" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" for Bacharach.

Hayes and Shuken also composed TV scores, including such Westerns as "Riverboat," "Wagon Train," "The Virginian" and "Gunsmoke." After Shuken's death in 1976, Hayes continued solo, orchestrating scores for Randy Newman including "Ragtime" and "The Natural"; for John Morris including "High Anxiety" and "The Elephant Man"; and for Bob Cobert the TV miniseries "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance."

Hayes' solo TV-composing credits included "Quincy M.E.," "Laverne and Shirley" and "Salvage " He also collaborated with Tom Scott on the film score for "Fast Forward" and penned arrangements for singers including Donald O'Connor, Pearl Bailey and Barbra Streisand.

An ailing Bernard Herrmann enlisted Hayes to conduct his final score, "Taxi Driver," in late 1975. Giacchino employed him as orchestrator on nearly all his films starting with "The Incredibles" in 2004.

Hayes was born in San Francisco in 1919. He attended San Francisco State College and, later, the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. Initially a trumpet player, he soon began arranging for radio's "Fibber McGee and Molly" and for bandleaders including Will Osborne. He later toured as bandleader for comedians Abbott & Costello and with cowboy singers Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

He composed several classical works and collaborated with jazz drummer Louis Bellson on numerous jazz and orchestral pieces.
Hayes was honored by the Society of Composers & Lyricists, and the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC), both in 2009, for his long career in films and TV.

Survivors include a daughter and a son; a sister; and three grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at St. Anastasia Catholic Church, 7390 West Manchester Avenue, Los Angeles.

Actor, stuntman Tom Hennesy who played the Gill Man on land in "Revenge of the Creature" (1955) passed way on May 23, 2011.

Thomas Daniel Hennesy began working in movies as an extra in the early 1940s, when he was a student at USC. Hennesy was on the 1943 and 1944 Trojan football and played in the Rose Bowl both years. He later became a stunt man, doubling action stars like Randolph Scott, Rod Cameron, Rock Hudson and Jeff Chandler. He also worked as a general secondary and elementary schoolteacher in many Hollywood film and TV studios; his students included Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Tim Considine, Molly Bee, Paul Anka, Tommy Rettig and Annette Funicello. Tom also worked as a policeman and a game warden. Later he ran his family’s oil production company until it was sold in 1991.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

On Monday, Aug. 22, 2011, at 11:26 a.m. B.J. Hopper left this realm. He was a resident of Baton Rouge for 60 years. He was born in Bentonville, Ark., on Dec. 5, 1924. He was 86. Very young he met an unusual person - his wife. They were married for almost 60 years. He was in the Army during World War II. He was among the third wave of soldiers on D-Day to "hit" the beaches. He was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, Bronze Star and Marksman Medal. His discharge papers said he was qualified to become a truck driver and a sniper, which made for a lot of interesting conversations when I was young. He got his B.A. from Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State, and his M.A. from LSU. He was a speech and hearing therapist in Ascension Parish for 25 years; then retired at age 49 to do movies et al. Some of the movies he was in were "A Woman Called Moses," "The Ponder Heart," "The Toy," but is best remembered as Mr. Alfred the trailer park owner in "Because of Wynn Dixie." My dad also was an actor and board member for Baton Rouge Little Theatre acting in "The Sunshine Boys," "Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" "I Never Sang for My Father," "Gypsy" and as Fagin in "Oliver." He is survived by a son, Mac; and grandson, Drew; many in-laws who treated him and loved him as a brother, and nephews and nieces who loved him as Uncle Bob. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack Hopper and Edry (Lough); and wife Alexa (Williams). We will miss you and do already. "Good night sweet prince, may flocks of angels bring thee to thy rest." Shakespeare. Any donations may be made in my dad's name to St. Joseph Hospice or Baton Rouge Little Theatre. A memorial will be held at St. John Methodist Church on Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 1 p.m.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Reza Badiyi, director of many classic TV shows, dies
Once honored for directing most hours of television.

Reza Badiyi, a prolific television and movie director whose credits include "Mission Impossible," "Hawaii Five-O," "Baretta," and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" among other classics, has died. He was 81.

Badiyi died peacefully Saturday at UCLA Medical Center due to medical complications, according to publicist Bita Milanian.

He was surrounded by his immediate family and loved ones, she said.

Badiyi was born on April 17, 1930 in Arak, Iran. He graduated from the Academy of Drama in his homeland and received the prestigious golden medal of art from the Shah of Iran.

Badiyi was then invited by the United States government in 1955 to pursue a film career and he went on to graduate from Syracuse University in audiovisual studies. He began his career as a cinematographer, working with such directors as Robert Altman and Sam Pekinpah. He later called Altman his friend and mentor.

While he had previously directed documentary films in Iran, Badiyi made is own American directorial debut in 1963 with a short subject film called "Censorship: A Question of Judgement?" according to the website, Internet Movie Database.

By 1968, he began directing the funny and iconic television show "Get Smart," before moving on to other notable programs, such as "The Doris Day Show," "Mannix" and "The Six Million Dollar Man." Later shows include "Cagney & Lacey," "Falcon Crest," "Baywatch" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

It was Badiyi who came up with the idea of Mary Tyler Moore tossing her hat into the air at the end of the opening credits of her show, according to IMDb.com.

He also was the cinematographer who shot the classic wave curl for the opening credits of "Hawaii Five-O" according to the website.

In the last six decades, he directed more than 430 television episodes and several films, Milanian said.

"He was a proud Iranian American and was very involved in the community," Milanian said. "He was a true Iranian at heart and could recite Iranian poetry like no other. The community is mourning tremendously for his loss."

In a 2009 interview with the online entertainment magazine Monsters and Critics, Badiyi, called the Godfather of American TV, said he was fortunate to have worked with so many talented writers, actors, and other professionals. But there was a time when the vilification of Iran troubled him, especially during the Jimmy Carter presidency and the Iran hostage crisis that began in 1979. He said he was even removed from a project because of his nationality.

"I suffered greatly during that time, even though I was in the U.S. and the number of years I had spent in Iran was less than I had spent in the US," he told the magazine. "That being said, I never wanted to change my name or deny my nationality."

In 2009, Badiyi was presented with the Noor Iranian Film Festival Achievement Award for his work and contributions to the community. He also was the recipient of several other awards, including The Directors Guild Of America Award for directing the most hours of television, Milanian said.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Italian actor and voice actor Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Ferrara died on August 8, 2011 after a long illness. Pino was born in Padua, Veneto, Italy on March 11, 1929. For several years he worked in the theater, particularly in the company of Peppino De Filippo. He taught acting at the International Academy of the Actor in Rome.

Ferrara was a member of the cast of many television dramas, including "TheCountofMonteCristo" (1966) and "TheAdventuresofPinocchio" (1972), the latter directed by LuigiComencini . Since 1998 he had been a part of the first five seasons of "Un medico in famiglia", in the role of Faustus, which starred LinoBanfi. Ferrara appeared in five Euro westerns: "Il bandolero stanco" (1952), "The Bang Bang Kid" (1967), "Karate, Fists and Beans" (1973), "Carmabola" (1974) and "The Crazy Adventures of Ben and Coby" (1975).

Friday, August 19, 2011

Brooks, whose birth name was Virginia Leslie Gettman, was a film actress. In the beginning of her career she was acting under her birth name, Lorraine Gettman. As Leslie Brooks, she began appearing in movie bit roles starting in 1941. Brooks started landing more sizeable parts in such programs as "Nine Girls" (1944), "Cover Girl" (1944)and the lead in the film noir classic "Blonde Ice" (1948), Brooks retired in 1949. She was married to Doanld Anthony Shay (1945-1948) and Russ Vincent (1950- ). and the mother of daughters Leslie Victori, Dorena Marla, Gina L., and Darla R. She died in Sherman Oaks, California on July 1, 2001 and was buried in Hollywood Hills Cemetery next to her husband Russ.

The British director, whose writing credits for the Hammer label included The Curse Of Frankenstein, died August 19, 2011 aged 83.

Born December 2, 1927 in North Wales, Sangster scripted two of the company’s most successful and defining films, 1957's The Curse Of Frankenstein and 1958's Dracula (called The Horror Of Dracula in the US), both of which threatened their Universal depictions for iconic status. His other writing credits for the company include The Revenge Of Frankenstein, The Blood Of Dracula, The Mummy, The Brides Of Dracula amongst many others, and in 1970 he added direction to his repotoire with The Horror Of Frankenstein and Lust For A Vampire.

Elsewhere in the genre Jimmy Sangster wrote episodes of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Wonder Woman and The Six Million Dollar Man.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Marcos Barreto died on Sunday morning August, 14. He was 51. According to the release by the Secretary of Culture of Rio Grande do Sul, the actor died of a heart attack. The actor was not hospitalized or suffered from any illnesses. According to some friends and relatives, he was leading a normal life and stated the death was sudden. The body is in the House of Culture in Porto Alegre and will be cremated on the morning of the 15th, Metro Crematory in St. Joseph, the state capital.

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The actor appeared in several TV Globo productions as "Caras & Bocas", "A Favorita", "Malhacao," "Viver a Vida" among others and also joined the cast of "Vidas Opostas", the TV Record, 2005 "Poder Paralelo" and "Amor e Intigas."

Sad to hear about another funny man dying. Vic Dunlop was just one of those naturally-funny guys. You couldn't not laugh at him and he was much loved among other comedians. He was always helping out others, running benefits and showing up at benefits that others ran. Just a funny, nice guy.

He hailed from New York and was the son of a prominent character actor, Victor Marko. Despite his weight, which was often way out of control, our Vic served in Vietnam and would later speak of it as good training for a comedian. Out of the service, he soon became a regular at The Comedy Store and then made his TV debut on the TV series, Make Me Laugh. For a long time, he commuted between Vegas, where he opened for Tom Jones, Gladys Knight and other top singing acts...and Los Angeles, where he appeared on a number of TV series including Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, Harper Valley, P.T.A. and the short-lived Richard Pryor Show. (A few days ago here, I posted a clip from a series I worked on called The Half-Hour Comedy Hour. Vic was a regular on that show, too.)

Medically, Vic was an absolute mess. He was Diabetic and he couldn't handle it. It seemed like every time I ran into him, he'd just lost a toe or part of a leg...and those were just the problems he had from the waist down. There were plenty above. Still, he never seemed to let any of it nuke his spirit or harm his sense of humor.

The actor and voice actor Friedrich Schoenfelder has died at the age of 94. Schoenfelder played hundreds of roles in theater and in film, among other things, in the Edgar Wallace films. The actor has also dubbed over 400 films and TV series. Schoenfelder was married and the father of two sons His elegant appearance always made sure that actor Friedrich Schoenfelder was always busy as a gentleman even at a very young in his career. He had hundred of choice roles in the Berlin theater and in movies. On Monday August 15, 2011, the actor and voice actor died at the age of 94 years with his family at his bedside. Schoenfelder was the son of an architect and was born on October 17, 1916 in Sorau in Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg, Germany in what is now Poland. In 1936 he appeared in Berlin, under Gustav Gründgens, where he had been at the acting school of the Prussian State Theatre for his training, his professional stage debut. In Frankfurt, he made an early 1950s appearance at the City Theater. 1948 he began his film career where he had the lead in four films. The list of film and television work of Schoenfelder is very long. From the mid-50s he was constantly in front of the camera: from the airplane drama "Abschied von den Wolken" (1959) to "Unsere Pauker gehen in die Luft" (1970) to series like "Berliner Weiße mit Schuss" (1984) and "The Wicherts von nebenan" (1986) extends the spectrum. He participated in four Edgar Wallace films. Even though they are now considered cult, he found them to be terrible. "The crowd just has a bad taste and it is why there are so many bad things on television and in the movies," he said in a 2006 interview with TheAssociated DAPD. The novels, which he had already read as a young man and was already upset about how stupid and bad they were.

Schoenfelder always returned to the theater. He had a role in the staging of John Patrick's Frankfurter "The Little Tea House" was one of the personal milestones of his career. 175 shows were played. 1,200 times he stood on stage after in the premiere of the musical "My Fair Lady" at the West Berlin Theatre as Colonel Hugh Pickering, and finally Henry Higgins in the lead role in the theatrical version for his character was played by Rex Harrison. Schoenfelder lent his voice to many U.S. stars in the dubbed German versions. He was the German voice of such international fellow actors as Vincent Price, David Niven, William Powell, James Mason and Alec Guinness. About 400 films did Schoenfelder dub throughout his career and with his distinctive voice as narrator, for example, 140 episodes of the "Kingdom of Wild Animals". In 2006 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award the German dubbing Prize.

"Acting is not a profession, which one does until they are 65 years-old and then you retire and look forward to finally being able to grow roses," Schoenfelder said in an interview on his 90th Birthday news agency DAPD. "An actor wants to work in the best case until his death."

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Linley, Chad Allen Age 29, of Houston, and formerly of Lewisville, TX passed away, August 6, 2011. He was born May 13, 1982 in Denton, TX. Chad was a talented DJ/VJ and was soon to graduate from the Media Tech Institute in Houston. He is survived by his parents, Brian and Cathy Sullivan and Lee Linley; brothers, Cody Linley, Scott Sullivan and Ben Sullivan; grandparents, Al and Dolores Martin; great grandmother, Margie Lee Davis, aunts and uncles, Nancy and Kelly Johnson and Lori and Mike Dean; cousins, Audree Johnson, Kaylee and Kendall Dean; and Joyce Linley. He is also survived by many friends. Visitation will be 7:00-9:00 P.M., Thursday, August 11, 2011 at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home of Lewisville. Funeral services will be 1:00 P.M., Friday, August 12, 2011 also at the funeral home. Viewing before the service on Friday will be from 12:00-1:00 P.M.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

BENTON - Billy Grammer, a Benton native and legendary country
musician, died early Wednesday morning. He was 85.

Grammer died at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday in Benton Hospital after a long
illness, said his widow, Ruth.

His own hits include "Gotta Travel On," which sold more than a million
copies and also was recorded by Bob Dylan, Webb Pierce and performed
by Buddy Holly on his last tour. Grammer also toured with artists
including Jimmy Dean and Grandpa Jones.

In the studio, he played on albums by Louis Armstrong, Patti Page and
Charley Pride, including on Pride's hit "Kiss an Angel Good Morning."

Although he stopped actively performing more than 20 years ago for
health reasons, Grammer returned to the Grad Ole Opry to perform on
occasion.

When he retired, Grammer built a house on what was originally his
family's land, Grammer Hill in Sesser, where his grandfather, a Civil
War veteran, is buried.

Born in Benton in 1925, Grammer grew up in Southern Illinois. After
spending time in the military, Grammer married his childhood
sweetheart, Ruth Burzynski, to whom he has been wed for 64 years.

While the two were living in Washington, D.C., Grammer was hired as a
singer at WARL in Arlington, Va., by Connie B. Gay, a popular country
DJ. When the lead guitarist was fired, Grammer took up double duty and
began honing his skills on the fretboard, which would make him famous.

While performing as a sideman on Jimmy Dean's television show, Grammer
met a young Roy Clark, who was primarily a banjo player at the time,
and taught him a thing or two about playing guitar.

In the 1960s, Grammer developed his own line of guitars. One that was
owned by Johnny Cash was sold at auction for $131,000.

Grammer said the most memorable moment in his career was the first
night Roy Acuff introduced him on the Opry broadcast, which he grew up
listening to. Another was delivering the invocation for the opening of
the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974 in front of President Richard Nixon.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Actor Francesco Quinn died August 5, 2011 in Los Angeles of a heart attack. He was the third son of Oscar-winning actor Anthony Quinn. He was 48 years-old.

"Francesco was playing with his 10 year-old son Max, at his home in Malibu, California when he was stricken with a strong heart attack. Doctors rushed to his home but failed to revive him and he was pronounced dead. "

Francesco Quinn was born in Rome, Italy on March 22, 1962 and had worked in the film "Platoon" alongside Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe. It 'was also one of the actors on the TV series "JAG".

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Annette Charles, who played Charlene “Cha Cha” DiGregorio in the 1978 hit movie Grease, died Wednesday night of cancer in her Los Angeles home, TMZ reported. She was 63.

Charles played the girlfriend of Leo (Dennis Stewart), the leader of the Scorpions, and wins a nationally televised school dance with John Travolta after Olivia-Newton John’s character is dragged away.

Before the Paramount release, the Los Angeles native appeared in several TV series since an appearance on High Chaparral in 1968, including The Flying Nun, Gunsmoke, Mod Squad, Bonanza, Barnaby Jones and The Bionic Woman. Charles’ last TV gig was on Magnum, P.I. in 1987.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Bubba Smith, 10-year NFL veteran and film actor of Police Academy fame, was found dead Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times he was 66.

Police had not determined a cause of death by Wednesday night, but officials believe he died of natural causes, according to The Times.

Smith spent his career as a defensive lineman with the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers, making the Pro Bowl as a Colt in 1970 and '71.

Known for his imposing 6-foot-7 frame, Smith retired from the NFL in 1976 after two seasons with the Oilers, turning his focus to acting.

He got his start with a series of popular Miller Lite television ads, including one in which he tore the top off a beer can with ease.

Smith's second career was highlighted by his role in the Police Academy film franchise, launched in 1984 starring Smith as Moses Hightower. He would appear in all but one of the six sequels.

His television and film career spanned from 1978-2010 and included appearances in television series' such as Good Times and Charlie's Angels.

As a collegian at Michigan State University, Smith was an All-American lineman in 1965 and '66, celebrated by fans with the chant, "Kill Bubba, Kill."

He was indutd into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and Michgan State retired his No. 95 jersey in 2006.

Teo Seasons after the Colts made Smith the No. 1 pick of the 1967 NFL Draft, he was depicted in one of the indelible images of the burgeoning league, leaping at a poised Joe Namath during Super Bowl III.

The Colts would lose that Super Bowl, cemented in NFL lore by Joe Namath's pregame guarantee. But two years later, Smith and the Colts went on to win Super Bowl V, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 16-13.

Monday, August 1, 2011

It’s with a heavy heart that Taste of County reports that country singer Jack Barlow has died at the age of 87. Music Row reports that Barlow passed on Friday, July 29, after a battle with a lengthy illness. You shouldn’t need any proof of Barlow’s country pedigree, since he enjoyed success in the 1960s with the celebratory hit song ‘I Love Country Music.’

Barlow’s other hits included ‘Catch the Wind.’ He released four albums and often performed at the Grand Ole Opry. His start in the music business came from behind the mic, but not onstage; Barlow actually got his start in entertainment as a radio DJ after serving in the Navy during WWII.

In the 1970s, Barlow switched creative gears a bit, penning jingles for the Big Red brand of chewing gum. He also continued to traffic in the food and beverage world, taking on voiceover work for a panoply of corporations like Budweiser, Kraft and Kellogg’s. He also did voiceovers for car companies like Chrysler and Dodge at this time, and reportedly wrote novelty songs under the name Zoot Fenster.

Barlow is survived by Dianne, his wife of 24 years, along with several children and grandchildren.

A public memorial for Barlow is scheduled for August 13, from 5-9PM CT. It will be held at Harpeth Hills Memory Garden Funeral Home, which is located at 9090 Hwy. 100, Nashville, TN, 37221.

About Me

Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1946 I have a BA degree in American History from Cal St. Northridge. I've been researching the American West and western films since the early 1980s and visiting filming sites in Spain and the U.S.A. Elected a member of the Spaghetti Western Hall of Fame 2010.